Women’s Basketball: Panthers travel to South Florida still winless in conference play

When the Pitt women’s basketball team takes to the floor against South Florida (10-7, 1-3 Big… When the Pitt women’s basketball team takes to the floor against South Florida (10-7, 1-3 Big East) tonight, the Panthers will be looking to end a four-game losing streak and claim their first Big East victory. For a team that rose as high as No. 15 in the polls, this isn’t where the Panthers expected to be at this point in the season. However, the tell-tale signs were there when the Panthers struggled through nonconference games they should have won, even falling to crosstown rival Duquesne at home. “During our nonconference schedule, we were winning games by two or three or in overtime to teams that we should have beat comfortably,” point guard Jania Sims said. “We were able to outlast those teams.” Once the Panthers entered Big East play, they realized the same mistakes they were making in nonconference would lead to losses against conference opponents, Sims said. One of the major issues for Pitt has been turnovers. In their past four losses, the Panthers committed 74 turnovers, which is an average of 18.5 per game. Against West Virginia on Jan. 17, the Panthers committed a season-high 23 turnovers, including three consecutive miscues when they had a chance to tie the game and potentially switch the momentum to their side. “West Virginia came down and hit a three [after the turnovers] and I thought that was a dagger for us and we never recovered,” Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato said. Another issue for the Panthers, particularly against West Virginia, is balanced scoring. While Sims scored 18 points against the Mountaineers, no other Pitt player reached double figures. In Pitt’s loss to Rutgers on Jan. 10, only Taneisha Harrison reached double figures with 13 points. In Pitt’s first loss to West Virginia, Sims once again carried the load with a career-high 28 points. Brittaney Thomas added 10. Sims was also the leading scorer in the Marquette defeat on Jan. 2, scoring 20 points while Sophronia Sallard added 10. After the second West Virginia loss, Berenato noted that the lack of a balanced attack contributed to the loss. “We had a lot of players score points today, but they had five in double figures, and we only had Jania Sims with 18,” Berenato said. “That was the difference.” Sims said that despite the losing streak, the Panthers remain confident in their abilities. Once they earn their first Big East victory, Sims said, they will start rolling. “I don’t think it’s confidence,” Sims said. “Everyone that coach plays in crunch time has been in these situations. Coach always says that big-time players make big-time shots. We just have to go out and do it.” South Florida picked up their lone Big East victory in its last outing, defeating Syracuse 73-64 in Tampa. The Bulls lost their first three conference contests at the hands of Connecticut, Georgetown and Notre Dame. As far as Big East struggles go, South Florida can relate to the Panthers. “The losses can kind of get into your head,” senior Jessica Lawson said after the Syracuse game. “But this win is kind of like a little cushion, we still have a lot of things to get better on. We still have a lot of work to do. But it feels a little good to have at least one win under your belt.” Lawson and fellow senior Janae Stokes lead the Bulls. Lawson, a 6-foot-3 center, is averaging a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. She is second in the conference in rebounding, only trailing Pitt’s Chelsea Cole with 11.4 boards per game. Guard Stokes scores 12.6 points per game while making the most 3-pointers in the conference, averaging 3.0 per game for a total of 39. Junior college transfer Leondra Doomes-Stephens is averaging 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds for the Bulls. She was named to the Big East honor roll for the week ending Jan. 17, after scoring a career-high 12 points against No. 3 Notre Dame and 10 points in the victory over Syracuse. Four Bulls players reached double figures in the victory over the Orange. Along with Doomes-Stephens, Stokes lead South Florida with 20 points, Lawson contributed 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, and Jasmine Wynne added 15 points and nine assists. The game marked Lawson’s 15th double-double of the year.